Gasoline indicator for automobiles



Patented sept. s, 1922.

UNITED STATES GEORGE J. GUTE, 0F DENVER, COLORADO.

GASOLINE INDICATOR FOB AUTOMOBILES.

ppiicauun ma February s, 1922. serial No.A '533529.

To all 'whom it may concern: Be it known that I, GEORGE J. GUTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city Aand county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gasoline Indicators for Automobiles; and I do declare the following to be aA full, clear, and exact description of the invention; such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appel?- tains to make and use the same, referentie being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of' reference marked thereon, whidh form a part of this specifi.- cation.

This, 4invention relates''to an indicator adapted to be applied to automobiles for the purpose of providing a convenient and reliable means for enabling the operator to tell at a glance the amount of gasoline in the su ply tank.

omc automobiles are provided` with indicators which are located on the instrument board and lcll the amount of gasoline un hand. There are, however. many :luto mobiles` ol different malo-s4 which are not equipped with gasoline indicators, and it is the object of this invcntionto provide an apparatus that can be readily attached to an automobile and which 4will supply reliable indication onl the instrument board.

In order to more clearly describe my invention, I shall have reference to the accompanying drawin in Which-- Flg. 1 is a si e element of a .part of an automobile with portions broken away in order to more clearly show the location and the relation of the various parts;

Fig.,2 is a view to' an enlarged scale of my indicator showing a section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 5; ,l

Fi 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the oat chamber;

n ig. 4 is a section taken on line 44, Fig.

Fig 5 is a view looking in thedirection of the arrow 5 in Fig. 2, and shows the appearance of my indicator;

" "Fig 6 is a development of the surface of Numeral 1 indicates the fuel tank of an automobile and 2 the ipe lead-ing to the carburetor, while the dJash board is indicated by the numeral 3 and the instrument board by 4. At a point intermediate thef fuel tank and the carburetor 5, I provide a T coupling 6. Secured to the dash 3 by means of a pipe clam 7 is a fioat chamber 8 whose bottom exten a short distance below the level of the fuel tank and whose top extends a shortdistance above the level of the upper ortion ofthe fuel tank. The bottom 9 ci) the float chamber 'is perfectly integral therewith, as shown, although it may be formed by a cap which is threaded thereto. and the top 10 is preferably formed by a cap which can be removed for the purpose of introducing and removing the float 11. Float chamber 8 is connected to the gasoline pipe line by means of 'a short piece of ipe 12. The opening in pipe 12-is referia-lily made very small within the chamber will not varyevery time the car tilts forward or backward, but will maintain an average which properly indicates the level in the tank 1. At the top 10 'I provide a pair of s aced lugs 13 between which l mount a sma l pulley 14 on a spin dle 15. A cord or wire 16 extends from the float to the indicator, which I will now describe.

My indicator consists of a plate 17 which has two arms 18 and 19 secured thereto i'n spaced relation. An opening (not shown) is cut in the plate 17 intermediate the said arms. A wheel 20 is non-rotatably secured to a shaft 21, the ends of which are rotatabll mounted in suitable bearings in arms 18 and 19. The diameter of the wheel 20 is such that its circumference e uals or exceeds the vertical measurement o the gasoline tank 1; thus, if the tank 1 is ten inches in diameter, the wheel 2O must have a circumference that is at least ten inches. `Rotatably secured to one end of shaft 21 is a cu -lke member 24 which is held in place y a spring 23 securedpby arivet to the end of arm 1K8. Within the member 24 I place a spring' 25, of the type employed in watches: this spring has its inner e'nd attached to the shaft 21 by means of a pin (not shown) and its outer end secure-d to the side of member 24 by a rivet. as shown, or in any other suitable marmer. Member 24 is held in piace by the spring 23 and has a plurality of pairs of notches 22 in its inner edge'. these notches so that' the evel bqoperate with the arm 18 and prevent the .member 24 from being rotated by the spring 25. `Spring 25 serves to move the Wheel 20 in such a directionl thatthe string 16 will always be taut. The tension of spring 25 may be adjusted by rotating the member 24, by means of which the spring may be Wound or'unwound' until the most desirable results are obtained. A piece of glass 26 is clamped to the front surface of the plate 17 by means of a member 2'( which is pro- 'vided With flanges 28, and the whole is sev cured to the instrument board by means of screws 29. Secured to the wheel 2O and rotatable ,thereon is a member 3Q whose sides are graduated in inches or gallons. Member 30 may be constructed and applied in various ways1 but I preferto make the same in the manner shown in Fig. 7,forcing the same over member 2O by a slight pressure. The reason why member 30 is rotatable on whee1`20 is so that it may be adjusted to `ve the proper. indication vafter the device 1s installed. The wheel 20 and the other arts of my indicator may be enclosed inA a iiousing 31, which is held in place by sultable means such as screws 32.

' From the above it will appear that I have produced an apparatus that is adapted to be applied to any car Vhaving the fuel supply tankabove the level of the carburetor, andwhich will give reliable indication of the gasoline level by means of an indicating device located on the instrument board.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination with a liquidfuel tank and an instrument board, a tubular oat chamber connected to said tank and adapted indicatingr wheel rotatably mounted between said arms, a spring secured to said wheel and to one of said arms and adapted to r0- tate the wheel in one direction, a striri g secured to the wheel and to the floa' and adapted to move said wheel against -the ten-V sion of said spring, and a member provided with indicia secured to said wheel, said last named member being circmnferentially ad jus-table with relation to said Wheel.

2. In combination with a liquid fuel tank and an instrument board, a tubular float v chamber connected to said tank and adapted i to contain liquid at the same level as in the tank, a float within said chamber, an indi,- catcr on said instrument board, said indicator comprising a supporting plate having an opening therein, a pairof spaced arms projecting from one side of said plqate, an indicating wheel rotatably mounted between said arms, a spring secured to said wheel and to one of said arms and adapted to rotate the wheel in one direction, means for adjusting thev tension of said spring, a, string secured to the wheel and to the flo'at and adapted to move said wheel against the tension of said spring, and a member pro.

vided with indicia secured to said Wheel,

said last named Vmember being adjustable' with relation to said wheel.

ln testimony whereof I atiix my signature GEO. J. GUTH 

